A Permanent Resident Card,
commonly known as a Green Card, is evidence of your status as a lawful
permanent resident with a right to live and work permanently in the United States.
It also is evidence of your registration in accordance with United States immigration
laws. The Permanent Resident Card is also called Form I-551.

Section 264 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act provides that, "Every alien in the United
States shall be issued a certificate of alien registration or an alien
registration receipt card in such form and manner and at such time as shall be
prescribed under regulations." It also states, "Every alien, eighteen
years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his
personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration
receipt card issued to him. Any alien who fails to comply with [these]
provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." The specific requirements
and procedures for applying to renew an expiring permanent resident card are
set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] at 8 CFR § 264.5.

You should renew your
permanent resident card if you are a permanent resident who was issued a Form
I-551 valid for ten years, and that card is either expired or will expire
within the next six months.

Please note: If you are a
Conditional Resident and your status is expiring, these instructions do
not pertain to you. You are to useForm I-751(Petition to
Remove the Conditions on Residence) to apply to remove the conditions on your
permanent resident status.

If you are a lawful permanent
resident whose ten-year I-551 has expired or will expire within the next six
months, you may renew your card by filing an Form
I-90.

A Form I-90 can be downloaded
from this site, or ordered by calling the Forms request line at 1 (800)
870-3676, or by submitting a request on-line. After receiving Form I-90, read
it carefully. Detailed information is provided in the instructions for the Form
I-90.

Applicants may also file Form
I-90 on-line using an Internet connection. Please see Introduction to
E-Filing for more information.

If you are outside the United
States, and your permanent resident card will expire within six months, (but
you will return within one year of your departure from the United States and before the card
expires), you should file for your renewal card as soon as you return to the
United States.

If you are outside of the United States
at the time of the card’s expiration, and you have not applied for the renewal
card prior to your departure, you should contact the nearest American
Consulate, USCIS office, or Port of Entry, before attempting to file Form I-90
for a renewal I-551 card.

For more information on USCIS
office locations, see the Field Offices page. For information on filing
fees, see filing fees, fee waiver request procedures, and the fee waiver policy
memo.

If you have
immigration-related questions, you may call the USCIS National Customer Service
Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283. You should be prepared to provide the USCIS
staff with specific information about your application, such as your receipt
number, Alien Registration Number, name, and date of birth. Please click here
for complete instructions on checking the status of your application. Or, you
may check the status of your application online at Case Status Online. Please
remember that an E-Filed receipt number may not be available through Case
Status Online for 72 hours.

If your application for a
renewal of your permanent resident card is denied, you will receive a letter
that will tell you why the application was denied. You will not be allowed to
appeal a negative decision. However, you may submit a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider with the same office that made the unfavorable
decision. By filing such a motion, you may ask the USCIS office to reexamine or
reconsider its decision. A motion to
reopen must state the new
facts that are to be provided in the reopened proceeding and
must be accompanied by the appropriate documentary evidence. A motion to reconsider must establish
that the decision to deny your application was based on an incorrect application of law or Immigration policy,
and further establish that the decision was incorrect, based on the evidence in
the file at the time the decision was made. For more information, please see
How Do I Appeal the Denial of Petition or Application?